The Blind Date from Hell
by seriousblahblah
Summary: Hermione keeps taking Lucius Malfoy to court. The older wizard doesn't seem to mind showing up or staring at her. Though they never do have any evidence against him. So he always walks off a free man. Or is he enslaved by a new obsession? "You're guilty of about 10000 war crimes," Hermione snarled. "How is it you always walk free?" Lucius smirked, "Watch me, Miss Granger."
1. Chapter 1

_**a/n: So I took a little break from my main Lumione novel, 'Father-in-law Issues' to write this fun little shorter novel. My other Lucius/Hermione story, as you may know, is very angsty and dark. However, this story, of about 10 chapters is a romcom with Lucius and Hermione in a more light hearted comedy...though it will have slices of angst here and there too! Plus tons of Lucius being his cunning, manipulative self per usual ;)**_

* * *

_**~o~O~o~**_

_**The Blind Date from Hell**_

_**~o~**_

**_[formerly titled: Gentlemen Prefer Brunettes]_**

_**[Song: No Time to Die - Billie Eilish]**_

_**[Lucius/Hermione]**_

_**["**__**the blood you bleed is just the blood you owe"]**_

_**~O~OO~OO~O~**_

* * *

_**~o~**_

_**Prologue**_

_**~o~**_

* * *

"Do you find this man guilty?"

"Guilty, I find him irredeemably guilty," she testified. "I will not rest until he is behind bars in Azkaban and justice is served."

"Order, order! Miss Granger you present no evidence! We have told you time and time again that justice has been served. Lucius Malfoy claims he was under the Imperius Curse. Do you have any evidence to convey otherwise and that justice was not served?"

Hermione bit her lip, her eyes watering. How she longed to say 'yes' yet however much she tried, she could only find hearsay, or circumstantial leads without concrete evidence. Lucius Malfoy was as slippery as they came.

"No," she admitted defeat bitterly.

"Then hold your silence, madam!" the Wizengamot judge hammered his desk with a wood gavel. "This case has been adjourned for lack of evidence!"

Hermione held back tears for what happened to her in Malfoy Manor. For the scar tissue that lay embedded in her arm, writing 'mudblood'. Bellatrix Lestrange was long dead and justice would never be paid there. But to the other Malfoy members who had allowed it to happen, she wanted justice. They could've intervened or stopped their family member from torturing her.

So she would just bring up this issue every year until she got justice or evidence to change the ruling of war crimes.

The Malfoys were war criminals, all of them. She didn't care that Narcissa Malfoy had actually been the only decent one among them and covered for her son and husband. She didn't care that Draco had somewhat a decent heart too and the boy had covered for Harry by pretending to not recognize him when the Snatchers and Death Eaters asked if they had caught the right persons. Hermione felt no grudge towards either Narcissa or Draco, however.

She only wanted Lucius Malfoy to pay. That is the man she hated. The wizard she dreamed of seeing fall from grace one day.

As she stood up from the podium, her eyes met with Lucius's across the room. He was staring at her. With those cold, calculating ice grey eyes.

Why did he insist on staring at her in every court hearing? Was he trying to intimidate her? Yet he never spoke a word against her when he had been called in to testimony. He only seemed to observe her.

Hermione shook her head. Whatever his reason for staring at her, she would ignore it.

Yet she felt his eyes dig into her as she turned her back and trotted out of the court.

Just once, she turned around and glanced over her shoulder.

She blushed when she saw that Lucius Malfoy had, in fact, been checking her out. Enjoying the curve of her backside.

The nerve of the man. Hermione shook her head and marched away from him. Her hips in the matching grey wool skirt swung confidently.

_Go to hell, Lucius_, she thought.

.

.

* * *

**_~o~_**

**_Six months later..._**

**_~o~_**

"Right this way, Miss Granger," the concierge said with a wave of his hand.

Hermione smiled at the young man and enjoyed the nervous blush that arose in his cheeks. She knew she looked spectacular tonight in a red dress with matching ruby heels—and reveled in the lavish attention she was receiving from every man with a pulse tonight.

In every room she entered, all eyes turned on her, either appreciatively or jealousy or admiration.

Hermione Granger, recent war heroine, didn't usually dress up this nice or doll up. In her abysmally boring, everyday life as an a apprentice at the Ministry Department of Magical Creatures, she wore her long brown hair in a ponytail, wore cardigan sweaters and a touch of lip gloss without any makeup. She liked the simplicity of being able to roll out of bed in the morning. She enjoyed the calm and quiet of not having men and wizards of all ages stumbling over their feet to meet her or handing her things or making any excuse to spend time with her.

Every now and then, however, Hermione didn't mind a change of scenery or a change in the pace of her life. So on these nights she enjoyed dolling up and going on these dates her friends often set up for her...and she didn't mind wearing makeup or a dress for these occasions.

However, as the waiter, led her to her table at the posh restaurant, the young brunette's mouth fell open and she stopped walking dead in her tracks.

"Miss?" the concierge urged her towards the table and pulled back a seat for her.

However, nothing short of a dragon, could've induced her to sit down at the table with the man that, rather vagrantly, already sat there.

"Lucius Malfoy," she whispered as she stared at him in dumfounded shock. "What are you doing here?"

.

.


	2. Chapter 2

a/n: I am not that good with legalese so if any of you see some wording I could change or add, that would be helpful. As always, thank you for reading along and I assure more fun and mischief will be coming.

* * *

~o~

The older wizard chuckled and waved the waiter off so that it was just the two of them.

"I'm your date, of course," Lucius drawled and his eyes darted over her outfit, taking her in.

Hermione clutched her forehead, feeling the start of a headache at her temples.

"This was supposed to be a blind date!" Hermione stammered. _Why on earth did Fleur think it was okay to set her up tonight with an enemy as her blind date?_ She intended to strangle the blonde woman later for this.

"Yes, that is the idea," the older wizard nodded sarcastically. "You weren't supposed to _know_ who I'd be in advance." Lucius Malfoy smirked and paused to take  
a sip of a goblet of champagne he had already ordered for the two of them. "Now why don't you sit down, hmm?"

"You don't get it." Hermione's face reddened. "I wouldn't have expected or EVER agreed to go on a date with you, let alone unwillingly on a blind date!"

"Unwillingly?" Lucius Malfoy raised a well groomed brow. "I'm hardly forcing you to sit down or stay, am I? You may leave as good as now if you find my company so detestable, you uncouth girl."

Hermione shook her head. Was this a mad dream? Had someone poisoned her with a Nightmare potion?

"No, this is too odd," she said and sat down in shock, to gather her strength if nothing else. "I need to ask you a few questions of how Fleur set this up, so I can properly rebuke her for it."

Lucius narrowed his eyes, as if puzzled by the proclamation. "You're mad at Fleur?"

Hermione laughed in outrage. "Can you expect me to not be mad at her?"

"No, I'd assume you'd come to thank her for her services in bringing us together...with time of course, once you come to know me further."

_Unbelievable._ Did Lucius seriously think that she had any interest in him or that this blind date coming to happen was anything but a bizarre, horrible mistake?  
She couldn't believe Lucius's gall to sit there so casually and act surprised that she had no desire to share a table with him, unless it was across from the podium in a court.

"That's the problem, Lucius. I already sufficiently know you and what to expect of your character. You've practically been my enemy my whole life."

"Hardly." Lucius Malfoy rolled his eyes.

"How can you say _hardly_?" Hermione asked in exasperation. She knew he was a pureblood aristocrat and a bit inbred, no doubt, but surely he could put two and two together that she hated his guts and for good reason? Or did all pureblood patriarchs like this play dumb to deliberately strain the nerves of everyone else.

Lucius leaned forward and smiled at her, showing rows of perfectly aligned, white teeth. "If you truly had been my enemy, Miss Granger, I'm afraid you wouldn't be alive right now, let alone standing across from me."

Hermione let out a deep breath she hadn't been aware she'd been holding in. It's like she could hardly breath when around him, he was so insufferable. Did the arrogant evil prat think he could fool her? She knew full well, far too well, what kind of shady character Lucius Malfoy represented.

"What would make you say such a thing?" she demanded.

"Easy. I don't leave ends untied nor do I leave enemies alive. If you actually knew me, you'd know this and thus know that you are not my enemy, though you try so desperately at court - it's all for nought. Shall we order?" He flashed her a smile.

"No thanks! I think I'll be leaving. Fleur will have to be berated without the details of how this sorry date happened."

Hermione made a move to get up, pushing her seat back across the carpeted floor. But before she could stand up, Lucius Malfoy swung out a hand and grabbed her by the wrist.

"I'd really rather tell you those details myself, if you please sit back down," Lucius growled quietly, unnerved.

Hermione scoffed. "I thought you told me you wouldn't try to force me to stay. Yet you're holding my arm?"

Lucius met her eyes with his icy blue-grey ones. "I hardly have a grip on your wrist, do I, my dear? You can easily walk away now or stay, clearly you are intrigued."

"You are incorrigible."

"You are in danger of missing out on a formidable alliance here, Miss Granger, such as you might not meet ever again. Even with all your charms."

"Unbelievable. I can't believe Fleur thought for even a split second this was a good idea!"

"She's French," Lucius said in lieu of explanation.

"I know but you would think she would at least understand I wouldn't date a Death Eater."

"Never confirmed Death Eater," Lucius reminded her.

"Oh please! You can use that in court but not with me. I saw you in your masks and robes, clear as day, and I know it was you in there, not the Imperius curse moving you about like a string puppet."

"Find the evidence, Miss Granger, if you're going to make wild claims. Otherwise, I think your next court hearing will also fall on deaf ears."

"If I could only show them you were your usual pompous, self-serving self at all points during the war, they wouldn't doubt that the Imperious Curse had nothing to do with any of your choices."

"Defamation," Lucius chastised her, "is a crime. I could sue you for that."

Prick. Yet speaking of "self-serving". Why had Lucius Malfoy even agreed to this date himself? Why hadn't he left the second he saw he'd been duped, paired with a mudblood. (She hadn't the word etched on her bloody arm whilst in his manor years ago, so she did not once forget for a second what his kind thought of her.

Hermione shook her head and turned her brown eyes to him.

"Why did _you_ even agree to this date, Lucius?"

"There's a funny story behind that, if you'd allow me to explain."

"Oh really? Shouldn't that story involve you walking out, given your prejudices towards me?"

Lucius let his eyes drape over her and take in her very tight body before he shook his head.

"Not at all. I see nothing to object to, sharing my dinner with a beautiful woman, perceived foe or not." The older wizard fixed his cravat and she noticed then the polish and grandeur of the way he dressed and carried himself. He even had his famous diamond snake can resting on the adjacent chair. "But as I said," Lucius purred, "there's a terrific story by way of explanation. I assure you, Hermione, it is _worth_ staying to hear."

Hermione uncertainly sank back down into her seat. "Fine. I might just give you a minute more." She reached a hand to grab a goblet of champagne and quench her thirst. "But don't waste my time, lie to me or beat around the bush."

She met Lucius's eyes over the rim of the glass as she took a sip. He stared at her intently as if he thirsted too, but for something other than champagne or any other alcoholic beverage.

"Perfect, I wouldn't dare to waste your time, Hermione, though I wouldn't mind beating around the bush if you'd allow me." Lucius paused to press his thumb against his lip. "Did I tell you, you look ravishing tonight?"

Her cheeks flushed.

~o~

.

.

**a/n: What do you think?  
**


	3. Chapter 3

~O~

Lucius ordered them an entree of a seafood platter, some grapes and cheese with fine bread, and for fun:_ creme brulee_. Plus more champagne to go along with it. Hermione doubted the combination would go down well in her stomach, not that she planned to eat any of it.

The thin brunette had insisted she was not, in fact, staying for longer than a few minutes.

Small talk with Malfoy was exceptionally brutally and she could not bear much more of it. She wanted to get down to the heart of the matter, then leave just as abruptly as she had arrived.

"Why did you agree to go on a date with me? Blind or not, it seems implausible," she asked in an accusatory tone.

Lucius chuckled heartily, amused by her apparent mistrust. "It wasn't blind—on my end—I knew full well in advance. Fleur wanted to set us up for awhile."

She had a few choice words for Fleur later (like what the hell the blonde woman was thinking setting her up with Lucius). But she stymied her anger, to ask him more important questions so she could better get a grasp of the situation. Like if this were truly a blind date, or a ruse to humiliate her somehow.

"Tell me again, how do you know Fleur?"

"A second cousin of the Malfoys. We share the same French great grandmother. And you?"

"I dated Ron. Ron's brother Bill is married to Fleur. We didn't get along when I was still dating Ron, but afterwards we became fast friends. Fleur was the only one of the Weasley clan who took my side after the split."

"Yes, the Weasley boy." He chuckled. "Bill Weasley is not half bad a wizard. However, you would have been entirely wasted on the younger brother. Incidentally, why did you split, beyond the obvious reasons that he is no good for you?"

Hermione took another sip of the champagne. She watched the level of the cup carefully to know that she had drank less than one goblet this entire time.

"Ron and I had different priorities of what we wanted in life."

Lucius raised his brows. "That's putting it lightly. He's an oaf. I'm only glad you came to your senses in time to rectify the mistake."

"Rude," Hermione said. "What about you and Narcissa? No grand fairy tale there?"

"Would you believe me if I said we grew apart?"

"No," Hermione told him flatly. "You two seemed perfectly matched: both narcissists. How could you outgrow each other if either of you lack any self-awareness or personal growth?"

"Rude," Lucius said and took a sip of his own goblet. "But you're right, it would be a lie to say that. Yet it still lies within the territory of the truth."

"Ah the truth. Which is what exactly?" She raised her brows trying to look bored as possible. Though Lucius had, in fact, piqued her curiosity. She had no reason to expect Lucius to tell her the truth or confide in her why his marriage had failed. What relevance did the failure of his marriage have to do with her, let alone this date?

"You may judge for this, but don't jump to hasty conclusions." Lucius intertwined his hands together and leaned forward across the table to whisper intimately to her. "I developed a certain...predilection, you might say, for younger woman."

Hermione felt all the air deflate out of her. How could she have missed something so obvious? It was so tediously stereotypical and obvious now to her that she had missed all the signs, including the glaring one of him being seated across from her.

"Of course." She shook her head and fiddled with one of her chandelier earrings dangling from her ear. "Freudian. A stereotypical mid age crisis. And I suppose you think I should be flattered?"

"Not at all." Lucius practically hummed. "You see, I don't have a wide ranging interest. In fact, I had an interest in only three young women."

"How conservative." Hermione rolled her eyes. "Only three!"

"Yes, one was a flower girl, another a barista, and one muggle lawyer."

"Eclectic array there."

"Only by profession. Not by appearance."

"Oh?" Hermione pretended to be interested in his self-indulgent tale of his exploits. So far, however, she was finding his story less interesting and more just plain offensive...speaking of women as if they were only conquests and not people. Categorizing women by their age and appearance was the ultimate form of objectification...was there a better definition of misogyny?

"Well, I confess I did not notice the pattern immediately. I simply thought I had developed a taste for younger women. All of them were no older or much less than twenty nine." Lucius paused. "But then I quickly realized all of them had the exact same appearance."

"Hmm, interesting," Hermione said mockingly.

"Oh just wait til you hear. They had, all three, the same appearance or commonalities: voluminous brown hair, bad fashion taste, brown or hazel eyes and an insufferable need to always be right...especially that last one, the muggle lawyer."

"Oh god." Hermione squirmed in her seat; the palms of her hands starting to feel clammy. So _this_ is what this date was all about?

She knew what Lucius would say next. The insufferable prat had made his intentions clear, and it made her that much more furious at Fleur for allowing this blind date to ever happen.

"You know what I'm going to say next," Lucius echoed her thoughts. His eyes burned into hers boldly, gauging her reaction. "You're a smart girl, you've figured out why you are here tonight."

"Yes."

"They all looked like you." Lucius interlaced his fingers together as he lifted a clam off the seafood platter and sucked the slippery thing out with his adept tongue. Hermione flinched. "It wasn't that I had became interested in young woman generally, I had developed a predilection for you, specifically."

"How flattering." Hermione scoffed at his perceived self-importance and bizarre reasoning for taking her to dinner. "It took you sleeping with three women to realize that? Bravo," she said emptily.

"I never said I slept with those women or cheated on my ex. But that is besides the point. The point is I'm infatuated with you, Miss Granger, for whatever wanton reason. Though I assure you it's entirely your fault."

"My fault?" How could he possibly lay blame for his indiscretions at her feet? She had zero interest in tempting him ever, either before or after he had become divorced. She wanted nothing to do with him.

"Yes, your fault. Your insistence on retrial over retrial to try to change the verdict well...it both left a bad taste in my mouth and forced me to spend inordinate amounts of time in court looking at you, or speaking to you, none of which I would've done willingly."

"Except now?"

"Except now I can't help it any longer," Lucius finished her train of thought for her.

"Merlin." Hermione felt sickened at his manipulative tale. "I think I'll be leaving now. For good. I can't believe you had the nerve draw me here to this blind date and ply me with your ludicrous story."

Hermione stood up abruptly from her seat at the table. She grabbed her drawstring purse off the back of the chair.

"It's all true, Miss Granger," Lucius said and stood up with her. He circumspectly lowered his voice to a whisper so they wouldn't make a scene. "Fleur saw it before I did and wished to help. Do you now regret filing motions against me and taking me to court for so many hours?"

Hermione prepared to leave but gave him a few seconds more of her time—or, rather her wrath—before she departed for good. "The only truth here is that you have some misplaced anger towards me for all the humiliation those court dates brought—deservedly, I add. So no I don't regret taking you to court for a single second." She stared him dead in the eye, showing him she was unafraid. "If you think, you can use sex to overpower me and make yourself feel better about your pathetic loss of face since this war ended, you've got the wrong girl. I wouldn't sleep with you if you were the last wizard alive."

She threw the reminder of her champagne glass onto his perfect tailoured robes and enjoyed the look of outrage on his face.

Lucius growled but she turned on her heel and was out of the restaurant within five seconds flat. The crafty brunette then apparated on the spot, right on the curbside.

She did not stop to glance back behind her to see if he stood there or still sat at the table, seething in his own rage and impotence.

~O~

.

.

.

a/N: Well, I've had a real headache re-editing my novel Father in Law Issues so it finally makes sense and Hermione knows now in that story that it was actually Lucius who had slipped into her apartment that night. Anyways, the novel remains unchanged, all the scenes are the same, I just edited different parts to show her awareness and the consequences and I'm happy to say the new chapter will be posted promptly.

Anyways, hope some people, liked this story. Appreciate any thoughts etc. This story is much funner and less angsty as you know but it will be just as twisting in its own way

Isn't Lucius a manipulator telling her about those three women and trying to blame his divorce on Hermione? It is rubbish/bs or may the man actually be sincere for once?


	4. Chapter 4

~O~

_What a bloody mess._ _Truly the blind date from hell._

Hermione clutched at her deeply heaving chest; her heart beat like she'd been running a marathon...yet it had only been dinner. With Lucius. She felt lucky she escaped without actually taking out her wand and hexing him, she had gotten so mad at his dirty insinuations, such as when he sucked that clam suggestively. Oh Merlin, she needed to get that image out of her brain!

What the hell had Fleur been thinking when she set Lucius Malfoy up as her blind date?

Hermione took some deep breaths to calm herself once she unlocked the front door to the her flat.

Kicking off her heels and sitting with her legs doubled underneath her on the sofa, Hermione realized her body was shaking a whole half an hour after she'd left. Had the effect of seeing Lucius Malfoy tonight shaken her so much? She had never been so shaken when she testified against him in court...Maybe because tonight had been of a personal nature, the whole matter shook her beyond her own comprehension.

She remembered the innocent conversation with Fleur from a few days ago:

_"I found someone you might like, 'Ermione."_

_"Oh? Who might that be?"_

_"Mon secret." Fleur had smiled dazzlingly at her. "But he's quite distinguished...though a bit older than you!"_

_"How much older?" Hermione asked in apprehension._

_"Neglectable! He's in shape and handsome dare say I for his age. Une homme formidable."_

_"I don't know. I've never dated an older wizard. How much older is he, in numbers?" she had asked again._

_"More than 10 years," Fleur told her._

_"Good Merlin. Don't tell me it's more than twenty years next?"_

_"It's possible."_

_"No, Fleur, I'm not sure I want to go meet this man anymore. He's much too old for me."_

_"It's in wizarding years, 'Ermione, it's not the same as with muggles. Wizards age like wine, and we witches, well we age like trees...we can go on being beautiful forever, if we choose to use the right potions, c'est pas vrai!"_

_"Of course, my mistake. Still I don't know, the only qualities you've listed in his favour are all based on appearance. He's in shape, he's handsome and he's older. And distinguished. What's his personality like? That matters more to me."_

_Fleur made a face. Then her blue eyes had lit up with excitement, to tell Hermione, "He is the man who will do everything traditionally and yet surprise you by being perfectly modern and romantic."_

_Hermione laughed. That still had told her truly nothing of his personality. Most men in the wizarding world were traditional and yet modern as well. It could've_  
_been any wizard._

_"Would you please go? I assure you it will be worth your time!"_

_Hermione had pouted at her blonde friend. "Give me one good reason why?"_

_"Because he'll lavish you and treat you like a princess. He's nothing like Ronald!"_

_Nothing like Ron_. Those words had sealed the deal.

After the terrible Weasley split, when his whole family had turned against her, she'd been thrown back out into the dating world and she carried only one thing for certain: she never wanted to repeat what she'd gone through with Ron Weasley ever again.

So that had sealed the fate of the date. Merlin, Fleur knew exactly what she was doing when she tricked her into the date.

_'Nothing like Ron_' was the only thing Fleur had got right.

"But worth my time?" Hermione scoffed as she took her earrings and let her hair down, now that she was comfortable at home again. "Doubtable!"

Lucius Malfoy and Ron Weasley couldn't be further apart as two specimens of wizards or partners. Not that she was even considering Lucius as a partner. Hardly. Never.

Good Merlin, the thought of actually enteraining Lucius Malfoy as a partner was so beyond absurd and iredeemably offensive.

"How could I? How could I possible want to date such a man?" Date an-ex Death Eater, confirmed or non-confirmed, irrelevant, when she knew what a capital prat he had been the last ten or so years.

The brunette laughed to herself unbridled and switched on the telly. There some news about a break-in at a local dragon rescue but nothing else out of the ordinary.

She continued to laugh, whilst getting ready for bed, when Fleur called on the Floo-o-Phone.

Laughter remained on her lips as she answered the phone, so perhaps she was much kinder to Fleur instead of scolding her. She thought she'd be berating Fleur, instead she was rather enjoying the conversation and the shared shock as they gossiped about her date.

"So how did it go, your hot date?" Fleur asked eagerly.

"You do know how angry I should be, don't you?" Hermione said with a smirk.

The French woman cooed. "Oh c'mon, he was cute right? You don't sound angry!"

Hermione snorted. "Oh he was cute alright. Doesn't matter a bit when he's Lucius Malfoy and a complete prat."

"Prat?" Fleur's voice fell to one of concern. "What did he do that was so awful? He didn't insult you, mon amie?"

Hermione thought over the date, trying to pinpoint a particular moment of disrespect or insult or some other unpleasantry thrown her way...funny she couldn't thing  
of a single instance from tonight. Only ones from the far past. On the date, he'd actually behaved and been pleasant.

"No, actually he ordered champagne, some seafood and creme brulee. And he said only nice things to me."

"How dreadful!" Fleur mocked her. "I'm so sorry, mon amie, I set you up with this handsome, rich man who clearly spoiled you."

"Fleur! I honestly couldn't care less if Lucius were the handsomest man in the entire world, nor the richest, he is still my enemy."

Fleur giggled. "He's not your enemy, 'Ermione, he's told me, except in your mind you keeping thinking he is..."

"Oh so I've been told as much by him." Hermione rolled her eyes. "If I had truly been his enemy, I'd be dead apparently, according to him. What a sweet man you set me on a date with!"

"Yes," Fleur said cheerfully. "He likes you. Will you go out with him on a second date?"

"Fleur that is so beyond out of the question, I don't know how you can even ask."

"Really? You seem happy. Are you sure the date didn't go well?"

"No. If I seem happy, it's because I'm happy I came back alive and well and never have to see him again...except perhaps in court."

"Ermione? I think you attack him without fair cause sometimes."

"Oh good grief, not you too! We all know what he did in the war, evidence confounded or not."

"So you will not see him again?" Fleur asked in disappointment.

"Fleur, I will be a very happy woman, if I never have to see him again!"

~o~

.

.

A/n: Sorry about the title change, I realized it sounded rude to have a title like Gentlemen Prefer Brunettes when it's just as rude to say it of men preferring blondes. Anyways, the new title shows what this story really is about: a blind date with Lucius gone wrong...or perhaps right? Hmmm will Lucius manage to change her mind?

Please tell me your thoughts, I'd love some input and I promise faster updates


	5. Chapter 5

~o~

Unfortunately, avoiding Lucius Malfoy in all facets of life proved to a difficult task...when he now did everything to try to run into her on purpose.

Turns out getting rid of an amourous Malfoy proved to be more difficult that getting rid of a Weasley, a Krum, or a McLaggen. Those three had been boys. Lucius Malfoy was a man. A very cunning, manipulative man with infinite resources and connections at his fingertips. How did he chose to spend it? By harassing her at work. Not so subtly through her inbox.

Lucius began to flood her workspace with owls and flowers and chocolates with cards all written with the same one-line:

_"Will you go on a second date with me?"_

After ignoring him for the first two red rose bouquets and first three chocolate boxes, which her coworkers were now enjoying, finally Hermione wrote back her affirmatively negative concise reply:

_"No, thank you. The first date was bad enough. Why go for seconds?"_

Lucius immediately wrote back:

_"I may have told you too much prematurely. I didn't want to lie to you but I didn't want to scare you off either. You're more than a type to me, Hermione, you're the essence."_

Ha. Romantic drivel. Sure but then she remembered the three innocent women who looked like her he obviously used and discarded to be able to say those words, in addition to his divorce. Those words no longer sounded romantic in the least. She tore up the letter and wrote him a new one:

_"Why don't you go back to your wife? And re-direct all your parcels and owl traffic there while you're at it! I don't wish to stay in contact with you. P.S. If you send one more bouquet of flowers, I will send them back to the Manor laced with dung beetles."_

Lucius was undettered.

_"Ex-wife," he corrected her. "And no I wish to bother you, my pet, threats of dung beetles aside. You are the reason I can gain no satisfaction from any other woman. My choices of which are many. Damn you, Granger: water, water everywhere and not one drop to drink. I must be besotted."_

_"Please don't make me laugh. You are a narcissist sociopath of the highest order. Do you even know what love is, or do you consider that another tool to try to control people?"_

_"Do you know what it is, Granger? I truly doubt you do. With only Weasley as your ex? Have you ever had a sufficient lover, a man who could bend you in ways you've never bent before or show you what real passion tastes like as you cling to him for dear life and leave scratch marks down his back only to lose your breath kissing him? Excuse my language, dear girl, but I doubt Ron ever showed you these things. Allow me to expand your narrow horizons and introduce you to greater things. Don't be a fool."_

Hermione's eyes bulged as she read that letter, but then she shook her head and crumpled up the letter, tossing it into the trash bin, before she wrote her own response.

_"Amazing. How you can twist the English language and wax poetical over love and sex, to seem like you have a heart, when we both know, you possess none. Please don't send me any more letters, I'm blocking your owls from now on. PS. Don't be stupid enough to try to show up here next. I like to restrict our time together to court. Let's keep it that way. HG."_

Lucius sent back one last letter, to show his magic could penetrate through her wards. She smirked as she opened the last letter, it only had one line:

_"Who is heartless now, I wonder?"_

Hermione's eyes darkened.

How dare he tell her about love or heartlessness when he had ended a perfectly good marriage over trivialities. It was like being lectured about manners by the rudest person imaginable. Or being told on how not to be a drain on people...by a vampire.

Hermione crushed the letter and threw it into her waste bin.

"Oi, any more chocolates?" Sally, one of her older coworkers, asked eagerly. The witch was about a hundred years old but still sharp as a tack. And didn't mess about it when it came to snacking on anything that came through their office.

"Sorry, Sal, last bunch arrived, I don't expect anymore," Hermione told the older witch.

"Ah shame, seemed like a sweet lad."

Hermione restrained chuckling at how wrong Sal was about Lucius Malfoy, but she shook her head. "You'd be wrong. The man who sent me these things isn't sweet whatsoever. The chocolates are a ruse to cover for that."

"We used to call that romantic in my time, girl," Sally said with a shrug and hobbled down the hallway. "Take it or leave it."

~o~


	6. Chapter 6

~o~

Things only got worse and spiraled out of control from there.

Lucius decided that if she wasn't going to respond to his correspondence or any of his letters, he would have to use other measures.

Hermione knew Lucius wasn't giving up anytime soon, for whatever his weird obsession with her was, he did not appear to be discouraged. Lucius Malfoy, perhaps because of gigantic ego, was not a wizard who tolerated being ignored.

Yes,_ tolerated_. As if she, not him, were the offending party.

She considered if the Wizengamot might consider giving her a restraining order, even though they had limited the number of cases she could bring against Lucius. The number of times Lucius and her now ran into each other, seemingly by accident, was starting to get on her nerves. But their meetings hadn't bordered on being illegal...yet.

Hermione could only wait, quietly and smiling, before Lucius officially put a toe out of line and she could nail his smug, perfect arse.

She perhaps acted, or pretended to act, rather indulgent and overly patient right now, hoping to lull him into trespassing her boundaries and making an official blunder.

So as she left her office at the Ministry and made her way down the long, black marble halls...she wasn't even surprised to hear a man's footsteps appear behind her after a few minutes.

He usually showed up at the Ministry, for errands, incidentally right at the same time she usually left work.

By now, she was used to seeing Lucius _randomly_ appear in the same part of the Ministry as her, so she wasn't the least bit bothered.

Though she noticed it was rather bold of him to jump into the same elevator as her this time. Getting closer to his target was he? She felt her wand in her pocket...he might get a nasty surprise if he tried to get any closer.

"Fancy seeing you here." Lucius smirked and pressed the button to close the doors behind them then apparently he pressed the button of a floor even more randomly.

"Oh yes such a _coincidence." _Hermione rolled her eyes.

"As a matter of fact, I'm on at least ten different committees and charitable boards here, so I would check your tone. You're not the only one who works here."

"Yes and you wonder why you always get off here. You do know this elevator's going down?" Hermione said with a heavy sigh. Because it was still suffocating to spend any time whatsoever with Lucius Malfoy, even if they did run into each other day to day now. He was intolerable, especially when he insisted on correcting her like he knew everything in the universe.

"I know it is," Lucius lied through his teeth. His eyes hazed at her almost affectionately. "How are you?"

"Could be worse, I guess," Hermione quipped and held her file of books to her chest. "I could be stuck in a broken elevator with you."

Lucius snickered. "That can be arranged."

She didn't like the way he was laughing while his eyes stared at her.

"Don't get any ideas," she warned and reached for the pocket with her wand in it. She thumbed the well-worn wood with her right hand.

"I wouldn't," he lied again and held up his hands, as if to show he carried no wand. "What kind of mayhem do you think I wish to cause you witch?"

Lucius shook his head as if insulted by her suggestion.

Yet within seconds all the lights in the elevator flickered off and the little elevator ground to a halt.

"What did you do?!"

"Nothing," Lucius drawled in the darkness. "Calm yourself, I'm here."

"That's absolutely zero comfort. We're stuck in an elevator after I made mention of it. How could that possibly be a coincidence?!" She glared at him though she knew they couldn't see each other in the dark.

"Well, if the fates allow..."

"This has nothing to do with fate!" Hermione said staunchly. "You must've taken your wand out and sabotaged the elevator."

"Did you see me do such a thing?"

"No."

"Then you have no right to accuse me of breaking the elevator."

Hermione swore under her breath. "I think you may have done Narcissa a great favour by divorcing her, you are insufferable."

"Touche."

"Why don't you undo whatever you did to the elevator?" she demanded and tried to sound loud and imposing and strong. Though, truthfully, she was starting to feel dizzy and claustrophobic and entirely small and helpless. Especially since she couldn't see Lucius clearly now, only his tall shadow and his quiet whispers which unnerved her more.

"I can't," Lucius said. "Because I didn't do anything. I also wouldn't know the first thing about fixing an elevator either because I'm not a plumber or lowly repairman."

"Plumbers fix pipes, not elevators," Hermione informed him with a roll of her eyes.

"Exactly it's beneath my station. All of it."

"Oh please." The haughty, pompous liar. Though not knowing a good day's work of hard blue collar struggle was probably the only thing true he said. She just knew he had to have jammed the elevator somehow despite claiming he didn't even know how they worked.

"There's at least a hundred elevators in the Ministry, Hermione. It may take some time before someone comes to find us."

"Of course, and you just happened to be standing in the one that broke with me in it! You are lying through your teeth."

Lucius chuckled in a low deep voice, before he flicked his wand so the whole elevator glowed with dim, purple light.

"Better?" he smirked. "You seem to dislike the dark, Granger. You seemed panicked."

"Please. I just don't want to be here with you. I'm not afraid."

Yet her heartbeat pounded in her heart every time he looked at her. Especially now that she could see him clearly and he was everything she'd been avoiding in her life and more.

"Aren't you?" He leaned towards her, and his long blonde hair cascaded over his black robes.

She took a step backwards and Lucius took another step forward.

"Am I lying about the elevator to get you alone?" He leaned closer to her and she took a last step back, meeting the walls. She was now cornered against the walls of the elevator with Lucius right in front of her, separated by only a few inches. "Why don't you ask me nicely and you'll find out?" he purred.

Her breathing quickened as her heart pounded. Sweat started to drip down her back. Why did this elevator feel so warm?

Hermione held his gaze, showing she was no intimidated by him, though she had to lean her head back to look him in the eyes, he was standing so close and was much taller than her.

~o~

a/n: Sorry lovely readers, got a little backtracked with some other stories, but we're back.

Leave some reviews if you liked it, I will update again tomorrow! (and trust me things are going down in that elevator!)


	7. Chapter 7

a/n: Thanks so much for the amazing response, here is the next chapter as promised and bonus points if you spot any Billie Eilish 'no time to die' references ;)

Does anyone else think jason isaacs totally shouldv'e played bond? omg yes. i love daniel craig too but c'mon jason could have nailed it too, esp with blonde short hair.

* * *

~o~

"Ask me, Hermione, ask me nicely," he purred standing before her while she was trapped in the corner of the elevator, practically pinned there by his body.

"Why bother?" she whispered and stared daggers into his cold grey-blue eyes. "I know the truth."

Lucius chuckled low and huskily in a way she had to admit was...undeniably sexy...Though she hated his guts.

"Do you even know yourself, Miss Granger?" His eyes lowered to stare at her lips. "I doubt it."

Unconsciously she licked at her own lips to wet them. Somehow she didn't want her lips chapped or feeling dry right now.

Lucius tutted as if chastising her.

"You lie more to yourself than I could ever dream to lie to you. You stoop to levels I could never dream of. The _fundamental_ things."

Lucius patted her hair and his breathing deepened.

The brunette squirmed to get out and around him but there was no where to go with him cornering her like this.

The wizard didn't actually touch her, beside her hair, but it was the implication—or the imbalance of power—that unsettled her. She was powerless before him.

This tall, imposing wizard positively towered over her physically, though she was adept with a wand, he probably was as adept and he had the physical advantage too.

His eyes stared brilliantly in the semi-fluorescent darkness as he sought her own.

"Are you afraid I'm going to kiss you?" he drawled. "I won't unless you ask me."

"What makes you think there is any chance whatsoever that I'd ever want to be with you." It was not a question but a statement. It still astonished her every time how arrogant Lucius could be.

"You'll find I'm persuasive, by any means necessary."

Hermione closed her eyes for a minute, refusing to look at him. His eyes seemed to melt into hers every time. "I hate you. You hurt me in the war, how could I ever get over that?"

"Did I now? I can't remember that part of the war. I don't believe I ever hurt you personally Miss Granger."

"I saw you there...as I bled onto the floor of your manor, by Bellatrix's hand."

"Just goes to show," Lucius whispered heatedly. "That the blood you bleed is just the blood you own."

He pinned her arms up against the wall behind her head. She allowed him to. For some reason she needed to allow Lucius to overpower her just once.

She reveled in having both her arms being held by his against the wall as his body brushed against hers.

Lucius locked gazes with her again, not allowing her to look away from him. Both their breathing increased as the tension grew between them.

"Would you ask me to change the past? You know I cannot."

"No." Hermione breathed out heavily. "Admit in the court what you've done. Admit your war crimes. Then I can let this go."

"I've done nothing," he insisted and stared at her now red, moist lips.

"You did. You will."

"Do you want me to touch you?" Lucius hissed into her ear.

"No."

"What do you want me to do?"

He leaned closer, his broad chest behind his black robes, pressing against her simple wool cardigan.

"I want you to burn in hell."

"You're such a little liar." Lucius smirked and his lips came close enough they could taste each other without touching. He tasted of white chocolate, privilege and bank notes. The type of man who spent his time at wizarding racetracks, banks and fine shops, when not plotting interfering with politics at the Ministry. Or stalking her, or his latest brunette muggleborn prey.

She did not even lose a blink of time before she shot back at him. "I'm not lying. I absolutely despise you, Lucius Malfoy."

"Likewise," he ground against her and her temperature rose. She had to bite her tongue to keep herself from panting. "Two can play this game of lies," he said, openly panting.

Hermione felt moisture gather at the small of her back. How she wanted to feel his hands lift her by her hips. Though they both controlled themselves.

"So you admit you're a liar?"

Lucius stared down with dilated pupils at her before he finally removed the distance between them and smashed his lips against hers.

Holding back a moan, her lips opened by her own accord and that was his entrance into her mouth. His tongue adeptly darted into and penetrated her mouth, over and over again. _Merlin_, without realizing it, she was grinding against his front too.

"Can you really say you hate me now?" He seared her with a kiss again and it felt like fire alighting every nerve in her body.

When he let go of her wrists, they automatically went down to wrestle through his hair as she deepened the kiss.

"You want this Hermione," he murmured against her.

But the next moment, she had stopped kissing him and slapped him in the face.

She then pressed the emergency alarm button of the elevator and the doors of the elevator shifted open with a loud pop and screech of metal.

"Don't come near me again or kiss me without my permission ever again," she warned and wiped at her lips with the back of her hand. Though she knew it had been the single most searingly hot kiss she had ever experienced.

"Don't kid yourself, if I come nearer it will be to do more than kiss you." Lucius glared haughtily at her and leaned back against the wall of the elevator, like he was the king of that particular domain. Well, fine, let him think he was the emperor of kissing witches unaware in elevators he had broken on purpose.

She arched her brows. "Oh is that a threat?"

"Not a threat. You know you want it, perhaps better than I do, I had you panting like a bitch in heat."

_A bitch in heat._

Wow. He truly had to insult her, didn't he?

He never thought of her as more than a dirty muggleborn did he? Even when he acted like he wanted to jump her bones. He still thought she was so far beneath him.

The bastard. Now he just had to use a word like that and turn things nasty between them. She should've known. Well, time to play nasty too.

"Don't kid yourself, Lucius. I didn't allow you to kiss me out of desire. You forced yourself on me." Her voice held a grit of warning she hoped he understood.

Lucius didn't.

He rolled his eyes at her. "No, I suppose you just ground against my clothed cock out of animosity, I suppose?"

Her cheeks burned. But then she knew she had the upper hand just now and had no reason to be embarrassed about her tactics. She said with a shake of her head. "You fool, you've walked right into this trap. I allowed you to kiss me against my will because I can use it as further evidence against you in court: assault."

She let that word sink into his ears. It seemed to burn his pride.

Lucius stared at her without saying a word, much like he usually had in their court hearings. His eyes burned into her silently.

Hermione exited the elevator on shaky legs, feeling his gaze still burn into her backside all the way down the hall til she turned around a corner.

She shivered.

~o~

a/n: What do you think? Stay tuned... :)


	8. Chapter 8

~o~

**Six days later...**

"How do you find the defendant?"

"Guilty, your honour," Hermione said and stared daggers at Lucius. "The defendant assaulted me in an elevator of this very Ministry."

Lucius merely stared backed at her without saying anything. He knew anything he said in court could and would be held against him. Hermione understood now Lucius was biding his time til he gave her his real piece of mind after they left the court.

The judge peered down his glasses at her. "Explain further, Miss Granger. How did this happen?"

"He stopped the elevator, trapping me alone with him. Then after pining me against the wall by my forearms, he proceeded to violate my boundaries and kiss me, whilst also making threats of future assaults on my body."

"Do you have any evidence to corroborate your claim?"

"She has none, only hearsay!" Lucius's lawyer proclaimed like a good attack dog. "She has a personal agenda against my client."

"Order!"

"This is called entrapment, your honour! My client testifies Miss Granger is the one who interfered with the elevator to bring it to a halt."

"I beg your pardon!" Hermione hissed. "I did no such thing, as if I would want to be stuck with your client!"

"Order! Silence Miss Granger! May the defense proceed."

Lucius's lawyer had a smile wider than the Cheshire cat. "I have several witnesses at hand to testify that Miss Granger has an unhealthy obsession with my client and even went on a date with him. The Parisian restaurant on the 28th of January, we have several witnesses to say they saw her there, dressed up for a date with Mr. Malfoy. When my client rejected her, given the freshness of his recent divorce, she lost it and has been trying to seek revenge ever since."

Unbelievable. Hermione's jaw slackened. So much for no mud slinging. Lucius was playing dirty through his lawyer while he had only to sit there and stare at her with a smirk. Between the lawyer and Lucius Malfoy, they were stretching the truth like a pretzel.

"This is false, your honour!"

"Can you disprove their counterclaims?"

She felt her knees go weak. It was true she had made the mistake of going on that blind date Fleur set up. She had little doubt Lucius's lawyer probably had several witnesses on hand to prove the date happened. Damn it.

"No." She exhaled loudly. Lucius was almost grinning at her from across the podium. "I have only memories, which I can provide in a pensieve. They will show this assault happened. Without my consent. And wholly unconnected to the January date."

The judge waved a hand in the air. "Insubstantial evidence! Memories can easily be tampered with, if accurate to begin with. How one person remembers an event is not necessarily how it happened."

Hermione hung her head. "Unfortunately, I didn't have the foresight to know this attack would happen and thus record it."

"So there is no evidence?"

"My own testimony," Hermione said. "Does that count for nothing? I am a veteran of this war, and have repeatedly exposed my life for the sake of this country, including by fighting his side."

"Hearsay and defamation of my client without proof!" the other lawyer snapped. Meanwhile, Lucius grinned and Hermione glared at the blonde wizard and his legal lapdog running rings around the court.

"Order, silence!" the judge said in a gravelly, deep voice then coughed and turned to Hermione. "Your services to this country are well known, Miss Granger, as are you respected. However, this does not give you any diplomatic immunity or the ability to be above the law."

"I understand sir," she removed a piece of paper from the desk. "I do have proof that the elevator was stopped at 5:45 on that Thursday." She levitated the paper towards the judge. "This comes from the Ministry's records itself."

The judge examined the piece of paper and nodded.

"Your honour that is proof of nothing more than an elevator got stuck and Miss Granger happened to be in there!"

"With Lucius Malfoy in the elevator that he jammed!" Hermione finally shouted at the lapdog lawyer who'd made one too many false claims.

The judge cleared his throat and shuffled the papers on his desk.

Hermione had a feeling the judge was not going to allow this ruckus of a case carry on much longer.

She bit her lip.

"Miss Granger can you corroborate the defendant's presence in the elevator, let alone the assault? Do you have, in short, any witnesses or evidence—physical perhaps—for your claims whatsoever."

"No." If only Lucius's lips or hands left a mark on her, she could say 'yes', but his touches had been light as feathers.

She flinched as she heard the judge hammer his gavel. "Case adjourned! Inconclusive. Mr. Malfoy you are free to go. Miss Granger, for your own mental health and well-being, I will not allow you to bring anymore cases willy-nilly against Mr. Malfoy without evidence. I hereby restrict the number of cases you may file against Mr. Malfoy to two cases a year, maximum. As you have already used half your allotted amount this year, I suggest you think carefully and present a stronger case with witnesses if you intend to bring another case against Mr. Malfoy. Court dismissed!"

Hermione felt utterly humiliated. To not only lose but to be told that she was filing too many proceedings against Malfoy...and then to limit her on the number! Oh Merlin. If only she didn't know about hundred little instances where Lucius Malfoy had committed a war crime or done something foul in between the wars...yet she never had the evidence for Lucius was as slippery as they came. Plus, she didn't have the deep pockets, like Lucius did, to hire such an efficient attack dog like his lawyer.

Damn him and this whole unjust system where the rich got away with everything, if you only had enough galleons and connections. You could hire anyone to argue your way out of anything...Hermione wondered, not for the first time, what kind of lawyers Lucius had hired to get him off not from one but two wars completely free. The bastard.

Lucius gloated as he left the court.

How she wanted to punch his smug face...but then she knew better than to resort to violence. Especially if Lucius decided to turn the tables and become litigiousness towards her. Anything was possible with such a liar.

Hermione's heels clicked against the marble floors of the Ministry as she sauntered quickly away.

She hoped Lucius was enjoying the view because she didn't plan to ever let him touch her again.

~o~

As she got into an empty elevator to go to an upper floor, suddenly an arm—a man's arm —stopped the elevator's door from closing completely.

The doors of the elevator reopened and in stepped none other than Lucius Malfoy. Victory truly suited the older wizard, his pale face was almost glowing now with content and pompous confidence.

"Oh not bloody again," Hermione muttered and rolled her eyes. "Can't you find another elevator? Or are you going to assault me again? This time I promise to record it."

Lucius smoothed his hair back before he stood beside her and pressed the button to an upper floor.

He sneered down at her. "You do so love to play the victim, Granger. Do get over yourself."

Hermione smirked at how unbelievably rich that was coming from him. "Well you do so love to play the villain. Do you leave me with any other choice?"

Lucius slid backwards across the railing of the elevator so that he was directly across from her. Hermione followed the movements of his hands: one hand clutched his famous snake cane (which also doubled as a powerful wand or rather staff) and the other hand unbuttoned his cuff-links. Lucius peered at her almost with respect.

"I don't see any fainting damsel-in-distress before me." He raised a brow. "You are hardly a lady either. And you certainly are not a victim."

"Aren't I?" Hermione asked and took out her wand.

"When have I caused you any distress?"

"I can't sleep."

"Neither can I. I blame you too."

"Yes but you blame me for everything, including your divorce. Yet you claim that I play the victim?"

"If I blame you for that, it is because you really are guilty and the cause." Lucius shrugged. "Why don't you give up your pretenses and futile claims against me and join me? You know you want to. Why else did you get in the same elevator as me again?"

"You followed me," she corrected. Unbelievable how he could stretch the truth to almost make you doubt yourself. "Though perhaps you're right, I would rather stand with you than an elevator full of lawyers.

"Likewise," Lucius agreed. "You see we can get along."

"It's not flattery. Your lawyer is an even bigger liar than you are."

"He's useful, though, isn't he?" Lucius lowered his eyes to stare at her lips. "Shame he succeeded in getting the judge to limit the number of times you can drag me to court."

Was he implying he enjoyed any time they spent together, negative or not? Hermione felt her heartbeat quicken, but refused to let him play head games with her again.

"Me? _Harass_ you?" she asked. "No you have it all backwards!"

"What else do you call dragging me to court today or any other day?" Lucius sneered down at her. "You're obsessed with me, Miss Granger. Face it, it's almost like you want to see me as much as possible."

"You assaulted me. I didn't want to see you again, I wanted justice."

"Wrong. I kissed you and you're in danger of it again."

The elevator ground to a stop at the topmost floor.

"This is my floor," she said quickly before he could change her mind. "Goodbye Lucius."

Lucius stood to his full height and watched as she left the elevator. "Stay with me for dinner? We can celebrate my victory."

"Not a chance."

"Minx."

"Prat."

~o~

a/n: Thanks so much for reading and I updated Father in law Issues twice this week if you're reading that story too. I promise the last few chapters are juicy

cheers


	9. Chapter 9

~o~

"What happened?" Fleur asked on the other end of the line.

Hermione hugged her knees to her chest. She sat on the sofa at home, with an elderly Crookshanks snoozing by the fire. The Kneazles amber eyes happily half  
closed in his squashed face. If only her life could be as simple as a cat's.

"'Ermione?"

Hermione realized she hadn't responded. "Sorry. Nothing."

"Nothing?" Fleur repeated. "Lucius told me you took him to court. Again."

"Oh, yeah, that happened too."

"When you told me the date went bad, I thought you were exaggerating!"

Hermione grimaced, torn between laughing at herself or crying. What had she even been thinking, going after Lucius like that? Of course it would backfire and now she felt just as confused and affronted as they day the older wizard had kissed her.

"It's complicated," Hermione was loathe to admit.

"You can say that again," Fleur said. "You make me and Bill seem like an old married couple, no problems, and Bill goes crazy every full moon!"

"We're not a couple."

"You are always together, no?"

"That's not true." Only in court hearings and elevators, and sometimes letters and then that one awful blind date, of course.

The Frenchwoman was not fooled and made a clicking sound with her tongue.

"Okay! So we might've run into each other a few times..." She brushed it off. Though her cheeks flushed all on their own when she thought of their last heated meeting in the elevator.

Fleur giggled. "He kissed you?"

Hermione winced. "Please don't remind me."

"It was good then?"

"How would you know?"

"Narcissa and I are still friends. She says he's an amazing kisser, one of the best."

Hermione slapped her own forehead. "Oh great. So now everything I do is going to reported back to her."

"Non, non! Your secrets are safe with me. Unless you want me to tell her."

"She must hate me. Lucius told me the reason he divorced her was because of me."

"And you believed him?"

"Should I not have?"

Fleur chuckled a deep, throaty laugh. "You can be naive sometimes, my friend. Narcissa and Lucius had their issues long before. Many, many issues." Fleur paused dramatically and hummed under her breath as if going over her thoughts. "Although she did tell me right before she filed for divorce, he slept with three different brunettes."

"So he did sleep with those women!" Hermione exclaimed and ran a hand through her hair. "He lied about that too."

Fleur did not seem to understand what Hermione was fussing about, but the Frenchwoman murmured in a sad tone. "Yes, yes. Narcissa was upset. Because she is blonde. Like me...She said she could've forgiven him if the other women had been blonde and looked like herself."

Hermione rolled her eyes. Of course, a vain narcissist would allow infidelity if the mistresses were all doppelgangers that paled to the original article. Narcissa nee Black Malfoy must've been a piece of work in herself, Hermione thought, though Lucius was no cup of tea either. No wonder the Malfoy's marriage had worked as long as it did, being that shallow. However, the end of a long marriage, even if based on mutual vanity, was still a terrible loss. So she did sympathize with Narcissa.

Hermione cleared her mind of further judgmental thoughts, and instead focused on being sympathetic. "I'm sorry that sounds terrible." She bit at her lip. "What were they married, like two decades almost? You can assure Narcissa I'm not one of the three brunettes, or ever will be."

"Oh do not worry about Narcissa! She is long over the divorce."

"Really? But it's only been, what, four months?" Hermione tried to do the math in her head, wondering how Lucius's blonde ex-wife could bounce back so speedily. "And they were married at least twenty years?"

Fleur cooed as if Hermione were missing a vital clue on how life really ebbed on. "You underestimate Narcissa, she's already had four lovers, one for each month." Fleur giggled in a very French elegant way. "I don't think Lucius has had one lover since his doomed affairs."

Hermione's face heat up. It would be a lie to say this vital piece of information...didn't immediately stir in her certain, more favourable feelings towards the elder Malfoy. But why should that be? Why did this interest her? She shouldn't care, should she...and why did her damn heartbeat have to start to race!

She steadied her voice, trying not to show too much interest. "Really? Not one?" So what Lucius had told her was true—bar, that he did bed the three brunettes.

"Oh no, no!" Fleur hummed into the phone. "He seems to be stuck on just one brunette, one person who has no interest in him, or say they say." Fleur paused. "I don't think he's gone on one date since the date wit you he asked me to arrange, 'Ermione. Shame, he could be having lots of fun right now."

"What do you mean?" Hermione asked sharply,

"Nothing. Just an attractive man like Lucius Malfoy attracts many admirers and he has the funds to lead any lifestyle he wants...I hoped my cousin would move abroad to Paris for a time maybe."

Hermione felt her stomach drop. "Why Paris?"

"Oh la belle vie, why else? It's in his blood to seek pleasure and the finer things in life...like musique, the theatre, architecture, la pâtisserie, love, croissants.."

"Right. Croissants and love." Hermione worried her bottom lip between her teeth. Suddenly she felt out of depth like Lucius, Narcissa and Fleur all understood things about life that an Englishwoman like herself perhaps never would. To the outside, perhaps they seemed indulgent and selfish...but perhaps the French knew something of what was to be valued. Hermione sighed out heavily.

"Why do you sound disappointed?"

"I'm not disappointed, Fleur," she said shortly.

Fleur broke into a peal of laughter. "I know. You would just miss taking Lucius to court as much, no, if he went to Paris?"

Hermione rolled her eyes. "I'm not this litigious, cardigan-wearing harpy everyone seems to think I am. I did have serious, legitimate reasons each time. I mean, dark stuff, war crimes and sabotage...political tampering too I think..."

"Of course, of course. Still it is the past!"

"Not that far in the past." Why was Fleur making her feel so stuffy and uptight? Were the French really so forgiving and carefree they could shrug everything off, and carry on with life? Hermione didn't think it was wrong to hold out for justice...was it? Even if the proof was long gone, like much of the shattered lives and damage caused by the war.

Hermione added, in her defense. "Muggle legislators still go after war criminals sometimes decades after the war. Sometimes a century...They didn't give up? Why would I?"

"I know, 'Ermione, your heart is in the right place. But for your own good, I think you should let go of the war...live a little."

"I am."

"Are you?"

Why did Fleur have to sound so doubtful? Hermione knew her friend had a point, but still..she was making her feel so tight-laced. Like she really was this cardigan-wearing dour English legal Ministry drone.

"What are you doing this Saturday?" the Frenchwoman demanded.

Hermione wished she had something exciting to say. Her reply embarrassed her really, even if she was normally passionate about the subject. "I'm returning some law books actually, about various precedent cases of House Elf rights to the Ministry's archives."

"Oh 'Ermione!" Fleur bemoaned, as if she'd never heard something so tragic. "That is terrible. House-elf rights are important. But go out. Go out!"

"No, I have no hot dates planned, thanks, with or without your help." Hermione chuckled though as she remembered the terrible blind date with Lucius she felt a shiver up her spine. The way Lucius had looked at her, like he'd never seen something so beautiful, when she arrived in the restaurant wearing that red dress. But then everything he had said, and just his whole belief system, had ruined any good feelings that night might've led to. It didn't matter if Lucius's eyes still devoured her every time they passed...or Merlin, his lips in the elevator...the man was a war criminal, whether he lived a thousand years without ever getting called out on it.

"When I was your age, before Bill, I went on a million dates. Pour le fun, you know? You don't have to take it seriously, it's about the experience. Because when you are married, you won't be able to anymore."

"I know, I will later. I really do need to go the archives."

"You're going to become old before your time, 'Ermione," Fleur pleaded.

Hermione exhaled loudly. "Yes, so may it be. But isn't it you who once told me witches never age, unless they chose to? There's a million spells to choose from."

"I meant old at heart, _mon amie_."

The words stuck with her. Fleur wasn't usually harsh, but Hermione knew her words came from a place of caring...or perhaps, just meddling. Fleur made it no secret she wanted Hermione to give Lucius another chance.

Old at heart. Thanks Fleur. Great friend.

Yet the words made her almost believe Fleur had it right this time...that Hermione had grabbed the wrong end of the stick. But then Fleur herself had rushed into marriage at an early age and the blonde didn't have much of a career now outside babies and gossip, of course. So maybe Fleur shouldn't be lecturing her on la bonne vie or whatever she'd called it. She hardly knew what the Frenchwoman meant by bon vivant or la bonne vie anyways. Too French for her understanding.

Or perhaps Fleur was merely projecting her own boredom with domestic bliss. Changing nappies all day could do that to you. While she always had her mind occupied with her career in reforming the wizarding world's laws for magical animals.

Either way, Hermione wasn't about to fall right into Lucius's lap because she felt a...bit...lonely.

It didn't matter how good his kisses were either, reputation for his making out skills, well earned or not.

Hermione flushed as she tried not to think anymore of Lucius.

She slipped into her bathroom and took a shower, ignoring the owl pecking at her window with a letter.

.

.

~o~

a/n: Is Fleur right or wrong? Has Hermione become near sighted from always looking over her shoulder into the past and the war, expecting someone to hurt her? Or should she give Lucius another chance? Is Lucius trustable in his intentions?


	10. Chapter 10

_~o~_

_That Saturday..._

As she marched into the Archives collection of the Ministry's library, Hermione was reminded of her conversation with Fleur earlier in the week.

No one else indeed, except her, was in the Archives on a Saturday. Even the library was deserted bar an older ninety-year gentleman scrolling through the War Time collection. Apparently everyone else had better, probably more fun, things to enjoy this Saturday. Except her and a bloody centenarian apparently.

Hermione puffed out her chest as she reached into her bag and got out the casebook of past House Elf proceedings.

She rifled through the pages, remembering key precedent cases she might reference later, before she put in on the shelf.

The Ministry's archives were a singularly lonely, almost isolated, place on weekends. Perhaps that's why she opted to come here then. She could relax in the silence; take solace in the long, winding aisles of books that stretched from floor to ceiling, row after row.

Libraries were always where she gained her strength. Where she gained her answers that later impressed people. Where she kept a step ahead of others by always knowing something they did not.

...Who cared what Fleur, let alone Lucius, thought?

They certainly wouldn't be the first who thought, as Ron put it so aptly, she needed to 'sort out her priorities'. Or accused her of valuing rules and knowledge over people.

Hermione winced as she thought back to her third year. When she was only thirteen years old, Sybil Trelawney had told her soul was as dry and withered as the books to 'which she so desperately cleaved.' She'd never forgotten the words and was only too glad she threw Sybil's crystal ball before storming out.

She had tried to rebel against this image of her as an irredeemable bookworm by acting out...punching Draco, saving Sirius, dating Viktor, showing people she could be sexy and beautiful, getting involved with a dumb love triangle of Ron and Lavender, even capturing Rita Skeeter's animagus in a bottle and holding her hostage...yet it never seemed enough. She still remained Hermione Granger, bookworm and resident genius to most people. So she stopped rebelling against it and even tried to live a boring life of cardigan sweaters after the war...almost settling for Ron...Ron! Before she realized that none of that fit. Then she started casually dating again...but always in secret.

Hermione took a deep breath. She glanced up at the tall, black bookshelves, that reached the ceiling, on either side of her.

What did fit?

Most people neglected to see the other side of her, that she was multifaceted...sensual even. She was a young witch, afterall. Sure, she enjoyed the intellectual things in life but she also enjoyed dressing up in a tight, pretty dress, dancing, and getting attention from wizards and maybe even flirting a little.  
She always returned to her regular life of cardigan sweaters and flats on the following Monday morning, much like Clark Kent and Superman.

...and so far, the only person who saw behind her facade - to the complicated woman underneath—was, in fact, Lucius Malfoy. No doubt because Lucius was as much or more complicated himself, with his public and private faces.

Merlin, bleeding hell, she was in a tight spot if only Lucius bloody Malfoy understood who she was. Lucius Malfoy of a million facades himself, a million questions unanswered about his past. And what a past, trying to separate the fact from fiction...She wouldn't even trust Lucius to tell her the time accurately.

Yet he had looked her right in the eye, to her true self, and uncovered who she was. To like her for it.

And Merlin, how had she repaid Lucius?

By throwing a gigantic barricade around herself. That's all she did to anyone who dared to make her feel vulnerable, throw up: walls, walls, and more walls.

~o~

She sat down onto the carpeted aisle between the bookshelves and began to sob. Years ago she used to cry here after the war when the memories of the war were still fresh and she had seemed on the surface to be the perfect apprentice at the Department of Magical Animals. Those years were long behind; she hadn't come to cry here in years.

Why did it feel like the neat, structurally-sound surface of her life was a suffocating lie suddenly? Like she couldn't breathe, like she had fallen for a lie.

The Archive had appeared empty when she entered and there were so many tall bookshelves, the place was a private place to cry, yet someone must have heard her sniffles.

Footsteps rapidly made their way towards her.

Her heart skipped a beat.

"Am I interrupting something?" Lucius asked with an elegant blonde brow raised when he found the aisle where she sat.

Hermione's jaw fell open. "How did you know I'd be here?"

Lucius shook his head with a sarcastic gleam in his eyes. "I know, pathetic, isn't it? Spending your Saturday in a dusty shelf of the Ministry's library...not even an exciting library, if I do say so."

Hermione sat up and wiped at her eyes. "Fleur told you, did she?"

"You don't mind do you?" he drawled.

"Mind which part? That you followed me here or that Fleur told you." She scoffed. "I should've known."

"Me and Fleur being friends—well..." Lucius grimaced. "...Relatives too."

Was he asking permission of her for something? Was he actually being nice for once, or was that only because she still had tears in her eyes.

She sniffled one last time, and wiped at her eyes with the sleeve of her sweater. She crossed her arms over her chest.

"Sure. I wouldn't dream of telling you who you can be friends with, Lucius. Even if it is someone mutual we have in common, which has proven to be inconvenient so far."

"Good. Because I wouldn't want you getting mad at Fleur again. She's hardly to blame."

"This is hardly a second date, so why would I?"

Lucius smirked. "Yes, such a glamorous life you do lead, Miss Granger. Far be it from me to encroach on it or save you from yourself."

"Save me from myself?" she asked incredulously.

"No other wizard has done that for you, have they?" He stared at her in a way that made her struggle to catch her breath. "Lacked the maturity, undoubtedly."

The older wizard grabbed one of the remaining books she held in her hands. He examined the spine of the book with a long finger tracing over the title, which read: "Laying Down the Law: A Modern Guide to Reformations of Magical Zoning and Construction Permits."

"Scintillating reading," Lucius observed and his intense eyes met hers. "Yes, that is what I would call it, saving you from yourself."

She had to admit to herself, he had a point. No other wizard had bothered to care if she was fulfilling herself.

Ron couldn't have cared less if she missed out in life by studying and working all the time. Much earlier, Viktor had only cared for himself. More recently, in her last relationship, McLaggen had only cared for her body and keeping his hands on it by any means necessary. She had felt used in all three cases, each in a different way that left her empty at the end.

What, she wondered, did Lucius Malfoy care for?

Why did he insist on pursuing her, against all hope and with complete lack of encouragement on her part?

"What are you thinking?" he whispered silkily. There were fine lines on his forehead but he was undeniably handsome and vital physically, muscles bulging from his arms beneath his robes.

His piercing gaze pinned her to where she stood by the bookshelves and she felt that familiar sense of complete lack of control around him. She never knew when she'd place a wrong foot down around Lucius and spiral down another bogey-trap or pitfall he'd set for her. Her back tensed as she felt the edges of the books behind her catch on her sweater.

"What do you know of what makes interesting reading? You probably read tedious business reports."

"Don't change the topic. Does it get any easier?"

"What does?" she asked in alarm. Why did she feel she was about to step into one of his snares?

"Lying to yourself that you don't like me."

"Please." She took a shaky breath. "You are presumptuous."

"It's hard not to be presumptuous when you're right." Lucius took a step towards her. "Prove me wrong. Show me the know-it-all Hermione Granger who will correct and school me that she does not in fact like to be shagged senseless by the terrible unconfirmed-ex-Death Eater, me." He laughed at her shocked expression. "You can't even admit it to yourself."

When she could not lie to him any longer, she stubbornly kept her sealed her lips instead. So Lucius Malfoy was a better judge of character than she gave him credit for. He probably had read her body language from a mile away. Probably part of the reason he got away with everything, he knew how to read his opponents and stay one step ahead.

Why did it feel like the last of her walls were crumbling before him and she only had her silence to hold onto to not be completely bare before him?

"Don't be so coldhearted," he urged and chuckled in that sexy low way he had.

"I don't know what to say to you." She bitterly realized she now faced defeat. To Lucius Malfoy. The wizard she, in fact, did want to shag her senseless against every surface of her house. To feel those delicious forbidden lips again that taunted her. The reason she couldn't sleep the past week properly without tossing and turning. The reason she always looked over her shoulder whenever she got into an elevator now.

The reason she sometimes felt a kick of emptiness when the doors closed and she realized he was not in the elevator with her.

Good, Merlin, what had this man done to her. Harry and Ron were going to kill her when they found out. Her coworkers would all think she lost her mind. The court would think Lucius's lawyers claims of her obsession were right all along.

She'd lose face.

People would respect her less. It would be a scandal: the muggleborn Heroine and the Death Eater (Unconfirmed).

Maybe this is why she fought her feelings for so long.

Lucius seemed to sense her unease and leaned into whisper in her ear. "Do you want to know a secret?"

Her heart beat so loudly in her chest she could hear her pulse in the drums of her ears. "What?"

"I am not a complete bastard," he whispered.

She pressed her lips together in a hesitant smile. "No, I wouldn't say you are, only 99%."

He wore his usual all black robes and his hair was pinned back today.  
His intense grey eyes stared at her, his lips slightly ajar as if wanted to say more or simply kiss her.

"Possibly. But that 1% would be the part reserved for you."

"Good god, how can such lying lips speak such pretty words?"

"Not lies. I am wizard enough to realize when I've been outdone by a witch. As you have. You are the reason behind my divorce. You are the reason I am standing here. You have won."

Her body trembled with the truth of his words. She cleared the lump in her throat and said in a whisper almost too quiet to be audible. "Then why do I feel so powerless?"

He heard her. "Because you continue to fight it, my dear."

He led her back against the bookshelf...and for once, she let out no reply or rebuke, except to close her hands tighter around his hair and press her  
lips against his. His lips seemed to fill a void in her life. She felt revitalized by his touch, by his taste, by his very essence and soon she could not stop the moans coming out of her mouth as she squeezed her eyes shut...though they were only making out. He grabbed her by her hips and lifted her so that she straddled him around the waist and she felt his desire for her throbbing through the fabric. She took a sharp inhale of breath, anticipating the searing climax that would come later when he used that formidable weapon against her.

"Scared?" Lucius asked tentatively, noticing how she observed the size of him through his robes.

"No." She clung to his shoulders with her hands as she continued to straddle him.

She never felt more alive. I am awakening, she thought, and bit into his bottom lip when he ground against her. He groaned angrily. "Dirty witch, you will pay for that later." She did not care how much he made her pay later. She nuzzled against his hair as he left marks down her neck in retribution as they continued to make out in the silent Archive. They knocked over a whole row of books by accident as Lucius roughly pressed them against the shelves.

~o~

.

.

.

A/N: Please review to tell me what you thought! There are several chapters more and I promise they might be steamy ;)

BTW Hermione hasn't forgiven Lucius for what he's done in the war (well unproven) but she has accepted there is another side of him and she is undoubtedly attracted to him


End file.
